Curse of the Pyramid
by The Create Card
Summary: Our characters (with one notable omission) take a trip to Egypt to look at a pyramid. But there's something different about it. And Sakura will be stuck in the middle of this mystery...whether she likes it or not. Updated with the conclusion!
1.

Summary: Our characters are going overseas. Aiden Avalon has an archeological site to examine and…our characters are going along for the ride. But what trouble will they get into in Egypt?

  


Author's Note: As if you couldn't tell, this is inspired by a movie I saw. As I write this, I just came back from seeing _The Mummy Returns_ (AWESOME movie)! So remembering what Sakura's father is, I felt this was a perfect story to start on.

  


**Curse of the Pyramid: Part 1**

  


"Sakura! We're gonna be late!"

Sakura huffed at Tori's call. He had been bugging her for at least the last 20 minutes. But she was well aware of the time…unlike most times. She was almost packed and ready to go.

Aiden Avalon was called to an archeological site somewhere near Cairo, Egypt. Unlike other times where he would go alone, this time Aiden wasn't going alone. He was bringing along Ms. Mackenzie, whom he was still dating much to Sakura's delight. And he was also bringing along his two children, Tori and Sakura. But there were more people coming along for the ride. In addition, Madison, Eriol, Julian, and Nakuru were all going, too.

Sakura was sad because there was one person who wasn't going. A week ago, Li went off to Hong Kong to visit his family. He called and told Sakura that Meilin was staying there for good to help take care of Li's mother. But…Li wasn't ready to leave Hong Kong yet and that meant he would miss the trip to Egypt. Sakura and Li hadn't been apart this long since he left for Hong Kong the first time seven years ago.

Despite that, this was an opportunity of a lifetime. Sakura had never actually been to an actual site before. She was always held back behind the yellow tape, but her father assured her that wouldn't happen this time. She would actually be allowed inside the pyramid located within the site. She was so excited.

All that remained was to pack emergency supplies. "Ok, Kero. Do we have the first-aid kit?"

"Check."

"Bottled water?"

"Check."

"Ice pack?"

"Check."

"Are we missing anything else?"

Kero nodded. He looked towards the desk…and out floated the Sakura Card book. The book floated into Sakura's suitcase. Sakura promptly removed it.

"What do I need the book for?" Sakura asked.

"Just in case," Kero answered. "You never know, Sakura. There might be that one emergency where it might come in handy."

Sakura stared at Kero inquisitively. "But how am I supposed to fit that huge book on the plane? And what if my dad or Tori look through my suitcase? How am I supposed to explain that?"

Kero nodded again. "I see your point." He had the book float back to Sakura's desk. Then the book flew open and some of the cards flew out and in between Sakura's wardrobe. "We'll just take a few cards."

"Which ones are those?" Sakura asked.

"Um…good question," Kero said. "Maybe we should…"

"SAKURA!!"

The doorknob turned and Kero immediately went into stuffed animal mode. Tori stuck his head in and immediately looked at the stuffed animal on Sakura's bed. He got into a staring contest and it looked like Kero was about to blink, so Sakura got in front of her brother.

"Is there something you wanted?"

"We're going to be late," Tori said bluntly. "What's taking you so long, squirt?"

"I'm…getting a few last thing together," Sakura replied nervously. "I…should be out in a couple more minutes." Then she slammed the door.

"Ok, squirt," Tori said from behind the door. "But hurry up! We don't want to miss the flight."

Sakura walked over to her bed and was about to check which Sakura Cards Kero put in her bag. Then she thought better of it and just grabbed the bag.

"Aren't you even going to check?" Kero asked as he flew towards Sakura's pocket.

"I don't think I need to," Sakura smiled. "I'm sure I can work with whatever I have. And besides, what are the odds I'll need any cards?"

Kero sighed. "Sakura Avalon: the most powerful sorceress in all the world. You possess magic the likes of which the world has never seen. I just wish you would take advantage of it a little more."

Sakura blushed. "Oh, Kero. I'm not THAT powerful; I'm only 18. And besides, in this world…where would I ever need to use magic?"

"That's what Clow Reed used to say sometimes," Kero said. "But he learned that powerful magic was never useless. There would always be that one instance where he would need it. But…I see where you can think that. There really isn't much room in this modern society for ancient magic."

"I didn't say it was useless," Sakura replied. "I just said I don't need it right now. Um…unless it can keep me from being late."

"Keep YOU from being late?" Kero teased. "There's no magic THAT powerful."

Sakura groaned and stuffed Kero in her pocket. The plane was due to leave in a few hours so she took her suitcase and ran out of her room.

It was time to go to Egypt.

  


~--------------------~

  


Sakura wiped her forehead again. "It's so hot out here."

The Cairo sun felt like a furnace. Sakura wished she was back in the cool airplane. But even though she was frying, Sakura grew excited as the jeep approached the site. There were two jeeps. One carried Tori, Julian, Nakuru, and Sakura's father. The other carried Sakura, Madison, Eriol, and…Ms. Mackenzie.

This must have also been like a dream for Madison, because she hadn't turned her camera off since the plane landed. She made sure to get the sights and sounds of the Egyptian desert landscape on videotape.

"The beautiful Cairo, Egypt," Madison narrated. "The sun, the sand, the history. It'll make for a wonderful documentary." Then she moved her camera towards… "And what documentary would be complete without our favorite subject: Sakura Avalon."

Sakura looked into the camera and sweatdropped. "Eriol…please control her."

Eriol slyly pushed the OFF button on the camera. "Even Oliver Stone knows when to take a break. You need to relax."

Madison pouted. "Oh, Eriol…"

Sakura grinned and then looked at the driver's seat. "Ms. Mackenzie, have you ever been to Egypt before?"

"Once or twice," the unusual teacher answered. "You'd be surprised at how everything in ancient Egypt seemed to have some kind of curse on it. It's really something else to be able to witness it all in person. The pyramids are especially fascinating."

"I've seen a lot in these last 18 years," Eriol said. "But I don't think I've even seen the inside of a pyramid. I wonder what it looks like?"

"Just be sure not to touch too much," Ms. Mackenzie instructed. "You don't want to unknowingly trigger a curse."

That made Sakura and Madison nervous. "C-C-Curse?"

Eriol smirked. "Curse. That's just a superstition."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Ms. Mackenzie grinned. "There have been people who will tell you that curses are very real."

"Yeah, and who's that?" Eriol asked.

"I think Aiden said he knew someone at the site who can tell us a little about ancient myths and curses," Ms. Mackenzie answered. "But…her name escapes me at the moment."

Sakura felt a chill go down her spine. Curses? They couldn't be real…could they? Maybe Eriol was right…or so Sakura hoped.

Still, Madison whispered into Sakura's ear. "You don't think there's a curse where we're going…do you, Sakura?"

Sakura gulped and whispered back, "I hope not."

  


~--------------------~

  


There were tents all around the archeological dig. Sakura's father led the entire party into the biggest of the tents. There were glass cases and vases everywhere. Sakura wanted to be extra careful not to break something. Everyone else looked around in awe at the precious artifacts, while Madison got everything on tape.

"These are really beautiful," Madison squealed. "Aren't they, Sakura?"

"Yeah…I've never seen anything like them," Sakura agreed.

"So you like them, do you?" an unseen voice asked.

Everyone looked around…except for Aiden who seemed to recognize the voice. Just then, someone came out from behind the nearby curtain. It was a thirty-something year old woman with short dark hair and brown eyes. She looked to be an intelligent woman and Sakura could only assume that she was an expert in this area.

The woman smiled when she saw Sakura's father. "Professor Avalon. I'm glad to see you. I trust you had a pleasant trip?"

"Yes we did. Um…I guess I should introduce everyone." Aiden stepped aside to reveal his friends and family. "I'd like you to meet Leila, Eriol, Madison, Julian, and Nakuru. And these…are my children: my oldest son, Tori, and my youngest daughter, Sakura." Aiden motioned towards the woman. "This…is Evelyn Neferteri O'Connell."

"Hello," Evelyn greeted in her British voice. She looked towards Sakura and Tori. "Your father's a very smart person. I'm glad he was able to bring you all here so I could share this with you. My crew and I have recently opened a very mysterious pyramid. The entrances were always sealed shut…until a few weeks ago when they mysteriously opened.

"My entire crew is baffled and I was hoping to get some outside help. And I was told that Professor Aiden Avalon from Japan was the absolute best help I could get."

"Where is this pyramid?" Ms. Mackenzie asked.

"It's out in the desert towards the west. It's the one over the nearby hill. I have a preliminary idea of what's in there, but I'm afraid I'm not as good at reading Egyptian hieroglyphics…as my great- grandmother was. That's one reason I asked you here."

"What are the other reasons?" Aiden asked.

"My crew has been called back to London," Evelyn sighed. "The museum wants them back to study an artifact that just came in from the United States, but I don't want to leave yet. I haven't even had a full day to study the pyramid. So the museum agreed to let me stay on the condition that I find someone to accompany me inside." She chuckled. "It looks like I found more than one.

"Don't worry. It shouldn't be dangerous. You can all come along. I actually insist upon it."

Aiden didn't even bother looking back. "We'd all be delighted. I especially know Sakura's been looking forward to seeing inside of a real pyramid."

Sakura nodded. "I've never seen inside a real pyramid before."

"You won't be disappointed," Evelyn smiled.

"But…what's in this pyramid?" Julian suddenly asked.

Evelyn started making her way out. "I'll explain it on the way."

  


Next Time: Evelyn O'Connell…coincidence, right? I mean it WAS the 1920's when…oh, never mind. Next time, our characters arrive at the pyramid. What's inside and what could possibly happen?

  


Any comments? An exciting story is beginning, so be sure to come back for the rest of the chapters. Tell me what you think by mailing me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below.


	2. The Mysterious Bracelet

Last Time: Everyone arrived in Cairo…except Li who was still in Hong Kong visiting family (he'll be important later, don't worry). They met Evelyn Neferteri O'Connell, a British archeologist who needs help with a mysterious pyramid that's recently been discovered. But that's ok. There's no harm in that…is there?

  


**Curse of the Pyramid: Part 2**

  


Sakura and the rest of the party all managed to keep up with the vigorous Evelyn. She was very excited about getting to this pyramid and everyone wondered about the mysterious contents of the inside. A mystery Evelyn was about to clear up.

"This pyramid was buried for many years," Evelyn began. "Thousands of years. But this year, an eyewitness saw the pyramid literally rise out of the ground. Word got to the museum a day later and we were on our way. Once I arrived, I went inside the pyramid and found ruins and remains of what appeared to be a shrine. But I can't tell completely, because like I said, I'm not adept at reading ancient hieroglyphics.

"But as far as I can tell…it's a shrine…to one of the ancient Pharaohs of Egypt."

Sakura felt nervous. "B-B-But that pyramid isn't…cursed…is it?"

"Y-Yeah," Madison added. "I heard those pyramids have curses, bugs, snakes, and…mummies."

Eriol scoffed. "Oh, please. Now that's just silly. There are no such things as mummies."

Evelyn stopped in her tracks and turned around. "Excuse me? No such things as mummies? You have no idea, do you?"

"I've seen a lot in these last 18 years," Eriol answered. "But I know that there are no mummies."

"That's what you think," Evelyn shot back. "Mummies DO exist. And I should know. My great-grandparents and my grandfather fought against one of them…and defeated him. He was the mummy, Imhotep."

"Imhotep?" Aiden repeated. "I've heard of him. I thought he was just a myth."

"He's hardly a myth," Evelyn continued. "You know, it's funny. I heard my great-grandfather used to think he was a myth, too. But he had to fight off Imhotep; not once, but twice. Along with my great-grandmother Evelyn and my grandfather Alex, my great-grandfather Rick defeated Imhotep and his minions, sending him to the underworld from whence he came."

Eriol scoffed again. "Sounds like something out of a movie."

Sakura wasn't reassured. "B-But Imhotep was the only mummy, right? There are no mummies in that pyramid we're going to, right?"

"Oh don't worry, Sakura," Evelyn laughed. "Imhotep had a tomb in another pyramid, one far away from here. Trust me. The odds of us finding a mummy as cursed as Imhotep in this pyramid are astronomical. And even if we do, those mummies are still dead. Imhotep was cursed to an eternity as the living dead and he was only brought back to life by accident. There are no other ancient Egyptians who shared that fate. So there's no need to worry."

Sakura still wasn't reassured. The prospect of entering the pyramid was starting to scare her now. She could only hope that she was only overreacting.

Evelyn stopped walking. "There it is."

  


~--------------------~

  


Sakura looked up at the towering pyramid. There was no sign of any entrance with the exception of an open door in the front.

"This door opened all on its own," Evelyn explained. "Before it opened, we've tried opening it with explosives but to no avail. We were starting to believe this pyramid was never meant to be found. But now that it's open…let's go in."

The whole party walked inside the pyramid and everyone immediately noticed how dark it was. Evelyn solved that problem by lighting a torch. Sakura looked around her to see dust and cobwebs around practically every corner. She could hear only complete silence.

Evelyn kneeled down near a tablet. "This is what I've been trying to read. But the hieroglyphics are like none I've seen. I was hoping you would help me."

Aiden turned to the rest of the party. "I shouldn't be too long. You can all look around, but don't wander off too far…especially you, Sakura."

Sakura sweatdropped. She didn't think she was that much of a troublemaker.

Everyone went their separate ways and Sakura just decided to follow Madison and Eriol. As soon as they wandered into another part of the pyramid, Madison coaxed Sakura towards one of the golden statues. Sakura took the hint and stood beside it.

"It almost looks like you, Sakura," Eriol noted.

Sakura examined that golden statue and saw what Eriol meant. The hair…the eyes…the look of innocence on her face. It really did look like Sakura Avalon, except she was decked out in the garb of an ancient Egyptian.

"Weird," Sakura said softly. She touched the statue and was immediately taken in by its likeness.

"So much alike," Madison said while she pointed her camera. "It's like you're twins."

"It's just a coincidence," Sakura said, trying to dismiss the thought.

Eriol looked around. "But I wonder why that statue's here? I thought this was a shrine to a Pharaoh."

That seemed to be the mystery. But Sakura knew her limits. She may have been a powerful sorceress, but she wasn't an archeologist. That was her dad's job.

  


~--------------------~

  


"I've got Egyptology in my blood," Evelyn said, examining the hieroglyphics. "It's been a part of my family for generations. But you'd think I'd be able to read SOMETHING like this!"

Aiden Avalon noticed that Evelyn was getting stressed out. Maybe this was the other reason that he was asked to come along. It looked like he would be the only cool head in this whole thing. Now was the time for him to try his hand at it.

Among the hieroglyphics were people, tears, caskets, and other pictographic symbols. But there were quite a few unusual symbols as well. Some that were unfamiliar. Then Aiden felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Leila Mackenzie.

"Any luck?" she asked with a smile.

"I think…so," Aiden replied. "I think it says: Herein…lie…the remains…of…one…of Egypt's…great leaders…uh…who…um…met…a…tragic…end."

"That's as far as I've gotten," Evelyn said. "It's the rest of it that I can't read."

Aiden looked at that last line. "It looks like…murder…but I recall murder looking a little different. This is something else. It looks like…suicide."

"Suicide?" Ms. Mackenzie repeated. "Why would a great Pharaoh commit suicide?"

"That's one of the mysteries," Evelyn answered. She took out her notebook and opened it up. "This is a sketch of the other hieroglyphics I found here. I…can't tell what it says, but I have a feeling that the mystery is in these symbols."

Aiden looked at the notebook and examined it. Just then, more of the party came in. Tori, Julian, and Nakuru all walked in from another part of the pyramid.

"Tori, where's your sister?" Aiden asked.

"How should I know?" Tori responded. "She's probably lost…or triggering an ancient curse. But either way, she's not with us."

"It's getting dark," Evelyn said. "It's almost time to call it a day. Where could they be?"

  


~--------------------~

  


Sakura couldn't shake off Madison's camera. Her best friend seemed to have a sixth sense for knowing exactly where Sakura would be standing and she used it to her advantage.

Sakura sweatdropped again. "Eriol…"

Eriol shook his head. "Madison, do you even have a shot of me in there?"

"Uh…I'm not sure yet," Madison said sheepishly.

Eriol just shook his head again and looked at Sakura. "Sorry. I've learned to just ride it out whenever she gets like this. Aren't you used to this by now?"

"I should be," Sakura said dryly. Then she looked at her watch. "Hey, it's getting late. We'd better go meet my dad."

Everyone agreed with that. Madison finally turned off her camera and everyone was on their way out. But suddenly, Sakura gasped and stopped right in her tracks.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Madison asked curiously.

Sakura felt around her pocket and felt…emptiness. "Where's Kero?!"

"Wasn't he with you?" Eriol asked.

"No! I've got to find him!"

Sakura ran off, nearly leaving everyone behind. The pyramid was still pretty dark and Sakura was careful not to trip over any cracks. She ran through the cobwebs, desperately tracing her steps back. Then she found the little guardian beast.

Kero was perched up on that golden statue that looked like Sakura. He seemed to be looking very closely at it. Sakura was feeling ticked by the time her friends caught up to her.

"KERO!"

Kero calmly looked back. "You know, Sakura? This statue looks a lot like you."

Eriol snickered. "Where have YOU been this whole time?"

Kero sweatdropped. "Um…I may have slept through a lot of this. I'm not really one for hokey Egyptian things."

"Kero!" Sakura snapped. "Can't you tell me when you're going to wander off? What if we left without you? And…what if you trigger something? We don't know what's in this pyramid."

"Oh, Sakura," Kero sighed. "I'm just fine. I know exactly what I'm doing."

As soon as he said that, Kero set down on the statue's shoulder…and something fell out. It was a bracelet designed in the shape of a flower. Madison bent down and picked it up.

"What do you think this is?" Madison asked.

Madison tried putting the bracelet on, but it wouldn't fit. She then tried to put it on Eriol, but it wouldn't fit him either. Then she walked over and put it on Sakura's arm. It was a perfect fit.

"Hey, I like it!" Madison squealed. "You look cute!"

Sakura smiled. It really did look nice on her. It looked nice on her the way it looked nice…on that statue. But at that moment…the ground began to rumble. It felt like an earthquake. But it felt too weird. It seemed to happen literally moments after Sakura put the bracelet on.

"WHAT'D YOU DO?!?!" Eriol shouted.

"Never mind that!" Sakura shouted back. "Let's get out of here!!"

It was the only thing they could do. Everyone started to run, but as soon as Sakura took her first step…the golden statue fell right on top of her. Sakura was stuck.

"Madison! Eriol! Help me!"

It was probably the worst thing in the world: irony. Sakura was being held down by a near perfect mirror image of herself. Madison and Eriol struggled to lift the statue off as the ground continued to rumble. Finally, Madison and Eriol pulled the statue off and Sakura was free. They all instinctively started to run towards the exit…which was quite a distance away considering the circumstances.

  


~--------------------~

  


Aiden Avalon immediately felt the rumbling. It felt like an earthquake, but Evelyn thought it was something else.

"The pyramid! We've got to get out!"

Aiden realized something. "My daughter!"

Evelyn pulled Aiden towards the exit. "We've got to get out of here or we'll be doomed!"

As much as everyone wanted to wait for Sakura and her friends, there was no time to waste. Aiden, Evelyn, and Ms. Mackenzie made it out of the shaking pyramid in time. Tori, Julian, and Nakuru soon followed. But there was no sign of Madison, Eriol, or Sakura.

"SAKURA!!"

Nothing. There was no sign of her and then Aiden saw it. The pyramid doors were closing. Then he saw them. Madison, Eriol, and his daughter Sakura were all rushing towards the pyramid's exit. But they didn't make it in time. The pyramid's doors shut and the three of them were stuck. Aiden was horrified when he saw the fear on his dear daughter's face.

"NO!!"

That would have been enough. It was too much to have to see the pyramid shut away his daughter. But it wasn't over. The rumbling continued. Then the horror increased tenfold. The pyramid was sinking into the ground.

Aiden and Tori couldn't take it. "NO!!"

They rushed in a futile attempt to keep the pyramid from sinking. But it was no use. The pyramid was going deeper and deeper into the sand. Finally…the ancient pyramid was gone. It was literally beneath their feet. They then tried hopeless digging through the sand in a vain attempt to recover the pyramid...and their beloved family member.

Aiden felt tears coming to his eyes. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was Evelyn. "I'm afraid your daughter is lost."

Aiden shook his head. "No! NO! She can't be gone! I have to get her back!"

He kept on digging through the sand, but he found out that he was the only one. Tori had been overcome by frustration and finally gave up. But Aiden wouldn't quit. His DAUGHTER was down there.

She couldn't be lost…could she?

  


Next Time: The ancient pyramid is buried with Sakura, Madison, and Eriol stuck inside. Can they get out? And what'll they do while they're stuck in there? Come back tomorrow to find out!

  


Any comments? Go ahead and mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't you forget to review below because I love your feedback!


	3. Exploring the Pyramid

Last Time: Everyone looked into the pyramid for the first time and took their own personal tours. But when Sakura put on a mysterious bracelet, the pyramid began to rumble. Everyone escaped in time…except for Sakura, Madison, and Eriol. They remained stuck inside the pyramid. And to make things worse…the pyramid sunk into the sand. There seems to be no way out!

  


**Curse of the Pyramid: Part 3**

  


Sakura was on her knees and coughing profusely. The rumbling finally came to an end and it was seemingly all over. But the nightmare was just beginning. Sakura was stuck inside the pyramid along with Madison and Eriol. Things got worse, though. It was pitch black inside the pyramid.

"Madison? Eriol?" Sakura called out. "Are you guys here?"

"I'm here," Madison called out distantly. "But where's Eriol? Eriol?"

"I'm over here," Eriol called out. "Where are you? I can't see? Do you still have the flashlight, Sakura?"

Sakura couldn't believe she didn't think of that. She reached inside her pocket and pulled out the flashlight. She turned it on and found Madison was right in her face. The two girls screamed, having scared each other, and crawled back.

"MADISON!!" Sakura cried. "Don't DO that!!"

"You really scared me, Sakura!" Madison wailed. "Eriol, where are you?"

Sakura pointed the flashlight at the door and saw Eriol struggling to open the pyramid's entrance. But it was no use.

"The entrance is jammed," Eriol groaned. "We're stuck!"

"What do we do?" Madison asked fearfully.

Sakura then noticed someone going through her pocket. It was Kero and he pulled out something very interesting. It was Sakura's Clow key.

"Somehow, I knew this would come in handy," he said.

A gleam of hope appeared in Sakura's emerald eyes. "The cards! We're saved!"

Sakura reached in and took out the Sakura Cards that Kero packed. Unfortunately…she remembered that she didn't have all the cards and she didn't check which cards she brought with her. And the cards she found…weren't too useful.

"Dream Card: won't do me any good here. Windy: that might help later. Sand Card: there's enough sand outside. Illusion Card: I don't know about that. Flower Card: what good will flowers do me? Float Card: maybe that'll help later. Fly Card: there's no place to fly in here. Power Card: that might come in handy. Sword Card: there's nothing here to cut."

"I knew you should have checked the cards before we left," Kero growled.

"Anything we could use to actually escape?" Eriol asked bitterly.

Sakura sighed. "I haven't found anything yet and there's only one card left." Then she smiled. "But we might be able to use this one." Wasting no more time, Sakura held up her Clow key. "Key of Clow! Power of magic! Power of light! Surrender the wand! The force, ignite! Release!" Sakura took her wand and took out the last card in her pocket. "Light Card! Release and dispel!"

Eriol panicked. "Sakura, NO!!"

It was too late. Sakura released the Light Card…and was sorry she did. The light was TOO bright. Sakura forgot how powerful Light could be. Light was powerful enough to illuminate the very darkness of night itself. No matter how pitch dark the pyramid was, Light was too much.

"Light! Tone it down!" Sakura shouted. "You're blinding us!"

Light heard Sakura and toned itself down. The pyramid was illuminated enough so that everyone could see their way around. That's when Sakura noticed the closed pyramid entrance. She decided to do something about it.

"Stand back!" Sakura instructed. Then she took out the only other card that would help her. "Power Card! Grant your power to this wand! Power! Release and dispel!"

Sakura felt the power flow into her wand. Then she took a few steps and immediately rushed the entrance. She swung her wand down and pounded on the entrance, cracking it open. Unfortunately…sand began to flow in. It was similar to the way snow flushed in when a cabin was covered by an avalanche. But Sakura knew there was no avalanche. There couldn't be. There was no sand above them…or was there?

Eriol walked over to the sand and stuck his hand in. "We're stuck. There's no way out!"

"B-But we CAN'T be stuck!" Madison panicked. "There HAS to be a way out!"

Sakura was ready to panic also, but she kept her composure. "She's right. There has to be another way out. Let's go!"

Sakura led the way and Eriol and Madison followed. It looked like they would indeed wander through the whole pyramid. They had to, otherwise they wouldn't be able to escape. But why was the pyramid flushed with sand in the first place? Was there something they didn't know?

  


~--------------------~

  


Night had fallen. Everyone had reluctantly given up on hopelessly digging through the sand. The pyramid was gone forever.

No! He wouldn't believe that. Tori Avalon refused to believe that his sister was gone forever. There had to be something he could do. So when no one was looking, he left the tent and went back to the site of where the pyramid used to be. The place was empty and there seemed to be nothing he could do. But Tori was armed with a shovel. He would dig that pyramid out if he had to. But he had to help his sister and his friends.

Tori spent the first few minutes digging, but soon he found he wasn't alone.

"Tori?"

Tori looked back and sighed. "I have to do something, Julian."

Julian nodded. "I realize that. Let me help you. I know you want to get them back as much as anybody."

Tori realized that Julian also had a shovel. He smiled. "Thanks. I could really use the help. I'll find that pyramid. Even if I have to dig forever."

Julian started digging, but then made a valid point. "But how do you know how long we have to dig? We don't know how deep that pyramid went."

"I don't care," Tori growled. "I WILL find them! I can't lose them!"

Julian put his hand on Tori's shoulder. "We won't lose them. There has to be a way."

Tori smiled. "Then keep digging. Because this is the only way I can think of."

Tori and Julian wiped their foreheads and kept on digging. If Tori had anything to say about this, his sister and her friends WOULD be found.

  


~--------------------~

  


Sakura, with her wand in hand, walked back into a familiar room. She walked into the room with the golden statue with her likeness. Sakura looked at the statue, still overtaken by its similarity to her, and then she looked at the bracelet on her arm.

"Hey, guys? You don't think this all happened when I put the bracelet on…do you?"

Madison looked at Sakura's arm. "You don't think the bracelet's cursed…is it?"

Eriol scoffed. "It's NOT cursed. It's just a coincidence. That's all it was."

"It's a coincidence we're sealed inside a pyramid?" Madison asked indignantly.

"I don't want to take any chances," Sakura said. "I'll just put the bracelet back."

Sakura knew it was worth a try. She should just put everything back the way it was. But she soon discovered that it wasn't that simple. The bracelet…was stuck.

"Madison! Give me a hand! I can't get it off!"

Madison walked over and struggled along with Sakura. The bracelet was stuck tight. There was no way to dislodge it from Sakura's arm.

"Did you try Power?" Kero suggested.

That seemed like a good idea to Sakura. "Power! Release!"

Sakura released Power. It should have been a simple matter of taking the bracelet off…but it was still stuck. It wouldn't come off.

Eriol was becoming curious. "Even WITH Power, you can't take it off?"

"It's stuck on tight!" Sakura grunted.

Kero thought about that. "Power should be able to take off anything. It's almost like that bracelet is…magically sealed."

Eriol shook his head. "I'm not familiar with that kind of magic."

"It must be some of that Egyptian magic," Madison thought. "But what magic is there in a bracelet? I don't get it."

"Me neither," Kero said. "It's like I said, I'm not one for ancient Egyptian stuff. The only magic I'm familiar with is the magic of Clow Reed. This could be pretty much anything."

"We'll worry about this later," Sakura finally huffed. "Let's just keep moving. There has to be another way out."

Madison took her camera out. "Ok, lead the way."

Eriol groaned. "We're stuck inside a pyramid. Don't you think this is a BAD time to have that thing on?"

Madison looked hurt. "But…I just can't help myself. This feels like such an adventure. I want to get it on tape."

"I just don't get you sometimes," Eriol sighed. "Fine! Let's just go! Lead the way, Sakura."

Sakura walked out of that room and led the way into another part of the pyramid. Lord only knows what could be in here.

  


~--------------------~

  


There they were. Tori and Julian were digging through the sand, desperately trying to find a pyramid. It seemed like such a futile task. But Tori was passionate about this. He wanted to find his sister, but it looked like he would ultimately go nowhere. That made Nakuru sad as she watched from the distance.

"What do you think happened to them?" Nakuru asked.

Suppi just floated up in the air, having been in Eriol's suitcase throughout the trip. "It might be one of those Egyptian curses I've read about. For all we know, they might be stuck in there forever."

That hit Nakuru hard. She couldn't picture her life without Eriol. "I want them back, Suppi. They can't just be…gone."

Suppi sighed deeply. "You know what we have to do, Nakuru. We have to call him."

Nakuru gasped. "Suppi, we can't! He'll just worry!"

"It doesn't matter right now," Suppi said. "We have to tell Li. He can't be kept in the dark about this. He has to know."

Nakuru obviously didn't want to tell Li. It's not that he didn't have a right to know. He loved Sakura. He did have a right to know. But Nakuru knew that there was nothing he could do about this, especially if he was in Hong Kong.

"Do we have to tell him, Suppi?" Nakuru pleaded.

Suppi nodded. "You know we do. You have his number, right?"

"His number in Hong Kong? Yeah, Sakura gave it to me. But I just don't want to have to tell him. It'll tear him apart."

Suppi wasn't convinced. "We HAVE to!"

Nakuru sighed and turned around to walk back to the tent. But she looked back one more time to see Tori and Julian still hard at it. They were desperately trying to find any sign of the pyramid. But Nakuru started to wonder…

When Li found out about this…would he be just as, if not more, hysterical?

  


~--------------------~

  


"All you had to check was check the cards," Kero kept nagging. "But NO! You said you could handle anything. You said you could work with anything given to you."

"Ok!" Sakura groaned. "I admit it! I was stupid! How was I supposed to know I'd be stuck inside a pyramid?"

"Expect the unexpected," Kero said. That made Sakura's head spin. It sounded like she was ten again.

Sakura stopped when she reached a small chamber full of cobwebs and dust. There was one difference. There was a container in the middle of the room. No, not a container. A tomb. Sakura walked up to the tomb and dusted it off.

"What do you think this is?" Sakura asked curiously.

Her friends came up and examined the tomb. There didn't seem to be anything fancy about it. It was a tomb. But that's when a mischievous grin appeared on Eriol's face.

"I dare one of you to open it."

Madison frowned. "Eriol! I'm not opening a tomb!"

Eriol's grin remained. "Then I'll do it."

Somewhere inside, Sakura felt she should have stopped him. She didn't know why she didn't say anything. Eriol lifted the lid off and opened the tomb. Sakura could see the old mummy. Like all mummies, it was a wrapped-up carcass. Sakura leaned over and almost retched at the sight…and the odor. The festering odor of death.

But then…Sakura's bracelet began to emit a light. The light shot down onto the dead mummy. Sakura almost fell over from the force. She didn't know what was happening, but Madison and Eriol were both set to scream. Then it happened.

The mummy…sat up.

  


Next Time: It's an Egyptian story. Did you think I could go through the whole story without a mummy? Yes, our three characters encounter a mummy. But somewhere out in Hong Kong, Li Shoran is completely unaware of all this. Will Nakuru and Suppi tell him? And if they do…what'll happen?

  


Any comments? Go ahead and mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com if you have any and by all means, don't forget to review below!


	4. The Mummy Rises

Last Time: It was a heartwarming, yet futile, gesture, but Tori and Julian took a pair of shovels and tried to dig their way to the pyramid. Nakuru and Suppi were a little more realistic and realized that they may have to make a very reluctant move. Meanwhile, Sakura, Madison, and Eriol wandered the pyramid and came across an old tomb. When Eriol opened the tomb, the light from Sakura's bracelet shone down upon it…and the mummy inside sat up.

  


**Curse of the Pyramid: Part 4**

  


Sakura took a couple of steps back. No one thought the mummy inside the tomb would come alive. But it was sitting up and it turned its ugly head towards Sakura and her friends.

"M-M-Maybe it's not hostile," Sakura gulped. "Maybe it won't hurt us."

To throw that theory off…

****ROAR****

The mummy rose up and started approaching Sakura. She felt paralyzed with fear and couldn't bring herself to move. Madison and Eriol each grabbed Sakura by an arm.

"RUN!!" Eriol shouted.

The mummy gave off another ferocious roar while everyone ran out of that chamber. It didn't help that they didn't know their way around the pyramid, because the mummy was following them.

Suddenly, finding their way out of the pyramid had become THAT much more important.

  


~--------------------~

  


"Li, phone call!"

Li Shoran wasn't expecting a phone call at that moment. But he figured now would be the best time. His mother wouldn't be left alone since his three sisters were also at her side.

He figured it would be Sakura checking up on him, but then he remembered that she told him she'd be going off to Egypt. She wouldn't call him all the way from there, would she?

Li took the phone. "Hello?"

_"Li?"_

The voice sounded familiar, but it wasn't Sakura's. "Nakuru? I wasn't expecting to hear from you. Are you in Egypt right now?"

_"Y-Yeah."_

"Is Sakura there?"

Silence. Li felt a chill go down his spine. He should have immediately heard a response that Sakura was just fine and missing Li. Instead, he heard nothing.

_"Li?"_

Another voice had come on the line. Apparently, Nakuru couldn't keep going. That got Li even more worried.

"Suppi?"

_"Um…you were asking about…Sakura…right?"_

"Yeah. Suppi, is something wrong? Is she ok?"

_"Um………………………no."_

Li didn't say anything at first. He couldn't get the words out. Finally…the words came out. "No? Suppi…what do you mean 'no'?"

_"Li, something's happened."_

"What happened to her?!"

_"Well…it's kind of a long story. We were all in a pyramid just looking around and the pyramid suddenly started…sinking. We all made it out in time…except for Eriol, Madison, and…Sakura. Li, I'm sorry but there seems to be no way to get her back."_

There would have been no way for Li to expect this. He couldn't anticipate hearing such a horror. But Li blurted something out.

"I'm coming over there."

_"What? You can't! What about your mother?"_

"She'll be fine! She's got my sisters! I have to go!"

_"What good will it do you to come to Egypt? The pyramid is buried in what has to be tons of sand. How can you get her back from that?"_

"I DON'T CARE! I have to do SOMETHING!"

There was silence at the other end. Nakuru took the phone again.

_"I understand, Li. We'll be waiting…SHUT UP, SUPPI! We'll be waiting for you. And don't worry. They'll be fine. ……They have to be."_

"Thanks, Nakuru. I'll be on the next plane. If anything comes up…I still have one of Madison's phones."

_"Then I'll see you in a few days, Li."_

Li hung up. The whole situation distressed him. Sakura was in trouble…and even if he couldn't do something himself, he had to at least be there.

So Li picked up the phone again and called the airport. It was time to go to Egypt.

  


~--------------------~

  


Aiden Avalon looked outside the tent again. There was no sign of life out there. The pyramid was buried deep in the sand and he wasn't sure if his daughter was safe…or even alive. It killed him to think that his daughter might be dead.

"I don't know what to tell you," Evelyn said from her chair. "I wish there was a way to raise it, but we don't even know how it was raised in the first place. From what it says here…it just happened."

Aiden noticed that Evelyn was studying a book of hieroglyphics and a notepad containing the hieroglyphics she found inside the pyramid. By now, the whole thought of the ancient symbols was annoying him. All he wanted was a clear answer. A way to get Sakura and her friends back.

"I think I've figured out what they're saying," Evelyn said with a smile. "Your girlfriend is quite intelligent herself. She's helped me figure out some of the sketchier symbols."

"Does any of it help us?" Aiden asked cynically.

"Maybe," Evelyn answered. "It says: the pyramid is to be raised after 5,000 years. The one who wears my bracelet is destined to wander the pyramid, imprisoned, until my soul is put to rest. To the one who wears my bracelet, make me whole again and only then will you find the exit."

"What does that mean?" Aiden asked.

"That's the mystery," Evelyn sighed. "I think there's more to this, but I haven't seen the whole pyramid. There may be more of this inside. One thing is for sure, though. I think Sakura may be destined to put this person's soul to rest."

Aiden was a little skeptical. "What makes you say that?"

"Didn't you notice, Aiden?" Evelyn replied. "Before the pyramid sank…didn't you notice something different about Sakura?"

"What do you mean?"

"She had something on her arm! I think she might have been wearing this bracelet."

"You think my daughter is destined to put an ancient Egyptian's soul to rest?"

"I believe so. And that means there truly is nothing we can do. It would all be up to Sakura. But I don't even think she knows about any of this. And if that's true…then she may be forced to wander the pyramid forever."

Aiden didn't know what to say. It all seemed so strange. A tortured soul dwelled within the pyramid and the only one who could help was his daughter? He couldn't believe that. Sakura was just a normal girl…wasn't she?

Aiden sighed. "I hope it doesn't come to that. I hope she's ok."

  


~------------------~

  


Silence.

Sakura slowly raised her head from her hiding place. Eriol had stumbled upon a small hole inside a vast chamber and everyone immediately used it to hide from that mummy. They were all safe…for now.

The mummy stumbled into the vast chamber and looked around. He hadn't found the hole…just yet. But he was coming a little closer. Sakura gulped and took a step back. Unfortunately…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

When she put her left foot down, the floor opened up beneath them. Sakura triggered a secret passage and the three slid down until they were in a sealed chamber. They were surrounded by four walls, with no sign of an exit anywhere.

Everyone groaned as they got to their feet. The long slide was scary and they all landed on top of each other.

"Are you guys all right?" Sakura asked.

"It could be worse," Madison answered.

"At least we lost…him," Eriol added. "But where are we now?"

Sakura looked around and confirmed what they already knew. There was no sign of an exit. They were stuck.

"What do we do?" Sakura asked.

"Don't ask me," Kero added, flying out of Sakura's pocket. "But look at it this way. It can't get any worse."

Obviously, things got worse at that moment. Eriol unknowingly leaned back on a trigger that was well-hidden on one of the walls. Two of the walls then opened up to reveal sharp spikes. And the walls slowly began to close in on them.

Madison moaned fearfully. "S-Sakura…"

Sakura instinctively reached into her pocket and searched for anything that would help in this situation. Then she found one of the Sakura Cards that might get them out.

"The Fly Card!" Sakura shouted triumphantly.

Eriol looked up. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Sakura couldn't understand what he meant at first. Then she looked up at the passage where they slid through. On the other side of the passage…was the mummy…and he was waiting for them. If Sakura and her friends tried to fly out, the mummy would get them. If they stayed, they'd be crushed by the spiked walls.

"Any other ideas?" Sakura asked desperately.

Silence.

They were out of ideas. They were between a rock and a hard place. But Sakura knew she had to act fast…

…or else they would be crushed by the walls.

  


Next Time: Can they escape this perilous situation? And even if they do, will Sakura figure out what she has to do to escape? Will Li arrive in Egypt? And even if he does, what can he do? Come back tomorrow!

  


Any comments? Sorry about the shortness of this chapter, but I've been a little busy. If you have comments, mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com, or better yet, review below and tell me what you think!


	5. The Mourning Ghost

Last Time: A secret passage was discovered and Sakura, Madison, and Eriol ended up stuck with the walls closing in on them. Sakura was ready to use Fly…until she found the mummy waiting on the other side. She needs to regroup, but time is quickly running out.

  


**Curse of the Pyramid: Part 5**

  


The walls were coming closer and closer to closing in completely. Sakura realized she had to think of something fast. She couldn't let it end like this. Then she got an idea.

"Fly!"

Sakura got on her wand, but her friends were hesitant.

"Sakura…are you sure about this?" Madison asked.

Sakura wasn't ready to fly off just yet. She looked at Kero. "Go distract him, Kero!"

"ME?!" the guardian beast asked. "How can I distract that thing?!"

"Just do it! And hurry!"

Kero wasn't sure of this, but he flew off anyway. When he reached the other side, he flew out of Sakura's sight and the mummy turned around to face the little guardian beast. This was exactly the opportunity Sakura was looking for. She took out another one of her cards.

"Illusion Card! Create a mirror image of ourselves! Illusion! Release and dispel!"

Illusion went a little slower than Sakura would have liked. But Illusion released a copy of Sakura, Madison, and Eriol on Fly…and it flew out. It was enough to fool the mummy who went chasing after it. The passage was now open and when Madison and Eriol saw that, they both got on Sakura's wand and they began to fly out.

They came out the other side just before the walls closed in and they escaped death…for now. Sakura grabbed Kero and kept flying, having lost the mummy, until she reached another isolated part of the pyramid. Sakura landed and recalled Fly. But the first thing she noticed was…

"This place looks familiar."

Madison pointed her camera around. "I can't help but think that I got this all on tape before."

Eriol suddenly pointed down. "I think that's why."

Sakura looked down and saw a very familiar-looking statue. She bent down and glanced at her friends. Madison and Eriol helped her pick up the statue…and sure enough, it was the exact same statue they saw before. It was the same statue that looked like Sakura.

"Hey…how 'bout that?" Kero grinned sheepishly. "We're back where we started."

Eriol groaned. "Now what do we do?"

"I don't know," Sakura sighed. "I feel like we've tried everything." Then Sakura stood silent. She saw a mortified expression on Madison's face. "Madison? What's wrong?"

"B-B-Behind you!"

Sakura gulped and turned around. The chamber suddenly got cold. She turned around and saw…a floating spirit. Sakura couldn't even think about her specific features. All that mattered to her was that it was a…

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"

…ghost. So of course Sakura turned and ran as fast as she could with her friends following behind. She had seen a lot in this pyramid so far, but the last thing she wanted to see was a ghost. So she didn't even look back.

All she wanted was to run away from the ghost.

  


~--------------------~

  


Kero was ready to follow Sakura out. Eriol and Madison sure did. But as Kero was ready to fly away…he heard a voice.

"Daddy…"

Kero stopped in his tracks and turned around. He then gasped at the sight before him. It was the ghost of a young girl…a girl who looked just like Sakura. The only difference was that she was wearing the clothes of an ancient Egyptian. And Kero also noticed she looked very sad…as if in mourning.

"Daddy…"

Kero blinked. "Daddy?"

Just as Kero uttered that one word…the ghost disappeared. Kero was starting to get a little spooked himself. There was a lot more to this than he knew. He only wished he had the answer. But he had no time for this. He had to catch up to Sakura and find a way out of this pyramid, so he flew after her, hoping he hadn't lost her.

But Kero also had to wonder how Sakura would have reacted to seeing such a strange scene. If only she wasn't so afraid of ghosts…

  


~--------------------~

  


It was a futile gesture at this point. He spent the whole night digging without any luck or any sign of progress. So why did Tori keep digging?

"Tori…" Julian panted. "I want them back as much as you do…but this isn't getting us anywhere."

"I…don't…care…" Tori breathed heavily. "I have to keep going."

Tori continued to dig…but a few minutes later, he stopped. He started to think that Julian was right. Tori wanted Sakura, Madison, and Eriol back. But this wasn't helping at all. All the sweat on his brow and soreness in his arms had amounted to absolutely nothing.

"I…want…them…back!" Tori shouted.

Julian looked into Tori's eyes. "There has to be a way…but this isn't it. You need to rest."

Tori didn't say anything. He couldn't admit that he was out of ideas. He couldn't admit that there was nothing he could do for his sister and her friends. But he had to concede. So he let Julian help him back to the tent.

As he walked back to the tent…Tori wondered if Sakura was ok.

  


~--------------------~

  


He arrived just in time to see Tori and Julian walk off. They hadn't seen him and maybe it was better that way. Li Shoran wanted to remain inconspicuous…for now. Of course, there were two people who already knew he was here.

"You think Tori's going to be all right?" Nakuru asked.

"Don't worry about him!" Suppi snapped. "Worry about what WE have to do!"

"But…what are we going to do?" Nakuru asked.

Li didn't say anything. He took out his charm and waited for his sword. When he got it…he held it out and got ready for his first move.

"Now, element: Wind!"

Li's first move wasn't a very bright one, but it was the only thing that came to his head. Unfortunately, the wind didn't blow off the sand like Li intended. The sand started blowing around.

"You've created a sandstorm!" Suppi coughed.

Li quickly stopped the wind before, but by this point, he couldn't even see in front of him. This wasn't such a good idea. The sand started to clear but vision was still clearly blurred and Li just coughed along with Nakuru and Suppi.

"Any other ideas?" Nakuru asked cynically.

"Wait!" Li snapped. He heard someone coming through the sand.

"Hello?"

Li turned around and as the sand cleared…there was a woman standing there. Immediately, Suppi plopped down to the ground before he was seen.

Nakuru gasped. "Evelyn?"

"Nakuru? I thought you were back at the tent."

"I thought YOU were back at the tent. What are you doing here?"

Evelyn looked around. "I came to see if I've missed anything, but then I saw the sudden sandstorm. I thought…the pyramid might have risen again. But I guess…she hasn't done it yet." She then spotted Li. "Who's this?"

"I-I'm Li Shoran. I…heard my friends were in trouble."

"Friend of the Avalons?"

"Yes."

"You heard right," Evelyn said. "I think it's time I told you everything that's happened so far…"

  


~--------------------~

  


Sakura kept struggling to remove her bracelet. It was no use, though. She wanted it off because it felt like it was getting tighter. Just then…Sakura's stomach growled.

"Sorry…I'm just so hungry."

"Yeah…me, too," Madison concurred. "We've been down here almost six hours."

"Haven't we been here before?" Eriol asked. "Sakura, we're going in circles!"

Sakura stopped. "Sorry! I'm just a little…busy…trying to get this stupid bracelet off!"

Madison grinned sheepishly. "If it helps…I still think it looks cute on you."

Sakura ignored that and kept trying to force the bracelet off. But just like before, the bracelet was stuck on tight. Sakura kept fidgeting with it and then raised her head to see Kero suddenly fly in.

"Hey! I thought you were in my pocket!"

"I got out," Kero panted. "Sakura…there's something you should know…"

Kero didn't get his thought off, because something happened with the bracelet. A bright light shot out from it and it split into two directions.

"What do you think this is?" Sakura asked in astonishment.

Madison and Eriol stepped back. In the blink of an eye, Kero was in Sakura's pocket. Sakura turned her head to see why they were stepping back.

One of those lights was pointing to…

…the mummy. The mummy had found them…again.

  


Next Time: Ok, this chase can't go on forever. So next time, the chase ends and the mystery will be solved (promise)! Will Evelyn and Li be witness to a rising pyramid? Can Sakura, Madison, and Eriol finally get rid of this mummy and find their way out? Come back tomorrow, because this series is coming to a close!

  


Any comments? Sorry if this was short again, but I'm setting up for a finish (plus, I'm being plagued by something in my personal life), so hopefully this'll pick up. Mail me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com with any comments and don't forget to review below!


	6. Mystery Solved

Author's Note: Sorry about not updating yesterday, but I was having some personal problems and I had to take a break. But the important thing is, I'm back and now it's time to wrap this up.

  


Last Time: Kero heard the lamenting cry of the ghost of a little girl who looked just like Sakura. Sakura didn't notice since she was busy running away. Li arrived at the scene, but his efforts were futile…and he was spotted by Evelyn. Back in the pyramid, Sakura's bracelet began to emit light in two directions. It's too bad that one of those lights pointed right to…the mummy.

  


**Curse of the Pyramid: Part 6**

  


She was an interesting woman to say the least, this Evelyn was. Li noticed she was holding a large notebook in her hand. She must have been an archaeologist.

"How long have they been down there?" Li asked.

Evelyn browsed through her notebook. "It has to have been at least 24 hours since the pyramid sunk. I…just checked and see if it came back."

"What makes you think it'll come back?" Li asked cynically.

"I've heard quite a bit about these three," Evelyn answered. "I was told a lot about them…from a certain Leila Mackenzie. She tells me that they can be very resourceful, especially Sakura. And if they're as resourceful as she says they are…then they should be able to find their way out soon."

"You really think so?" Li asked.

Evelyn nodded positively. "All I've gathered from the pyramid's hieroglyphics so far is that whomever wears the bracelet must put a soul to rest. Sakura's the one wearing the bracelet. The only question remaining is…what does she have to do?"

Li sighed deeply. That meant there was nothing he could do. All he could do was wait.

"I don't know," Li finally said. "I just hope she figures it out soon."

  


~--------------------~

  


They finally lost the mummy again. The mummy was lurking outside while Sakura hid in a dark corner. Madison and Eriol desperately threw their bodies over Sakura's bracelet in an effort to keep the light from emitting. It was working at the moment, but Sakura knew they couldn't hide forever.

"What are we going to do?" Sakura whispered. "There doesn't seem to be any way out."

There was a moment of silence for a moment. The mummy stumbled around finding emptiness…and in that time, Kero flew out of Sakura's pocket and onto her shoulder.

"Sakura…" Kero whispered. "I have an idea. Let the light out."

"Kero, I can't!" Sakura whispered back. "The mummy will get us!"

"Just do it," Kero suggested. "Follow that other light. I think that might be our answer."

Sakura looked at the faces of Madison and Eriol. They both nodded through the darkness, signaling for Sakura to get ready to make a run for it. They both moved aside and the two rays of light shot out again. One of them pointed directly at the mummy. The other light shot outside the chamber.

The mummy saw the light and found the source: Sakura's bracelet. He came over towards them, at which time Sakura and her friends ran.

They ran inside the other chamber and followed the light. It wasn't a bad idea in theory. Sakura thought about what lay at the other end of the light. It could have been a way to escape. It could have been a way to subdue the mummy. Then Sakura thought of the other side of the coin. The end of the other light could very well contain…something worse!

Sakura could finally see the end of the other ray of light. But when she saw what was at the other side, she immediately fell to the ground in fear. She tried to turn around, but bumped into her friends and knocked them down. Sakura desperately wanted to escape the sight in front of her. She wanted to take her chances with the mummy rather than face…

…a ghost.

Sakura tried crawling away, but Kero flew right in front of her face and stopped her.

"Sakura, STOP!" Kero shouted.

"Get away, Kero!" Sakura screamed. "It's a g-g-ghost!!"

"Will you LOOK AT HER?!" Kero ordered.

Madison and Eriol gasped. They saw something that Sakura didn't. Sakura didn't want to see it. She was too afraid. She didn't want to see any part of this ghost.

Madison pointed in front of her. "Sakura…look…"

Sakura didn't want to look. Eriol turned her head for her and Kero used his little hands to keep her eyelids open. She wondered why they were doing this to her…then she saw why. The ghost…was of a young girl…who looked just like Sakura. And she seemed to be crying out.

"Daddy…"

Sakura looked curiously at the ghost. "Daddy?"

Eriol gasped. "MUMMY!"

Sakura turned around and saw the mummy quickly approaching. Everyone moved out of his way, but the mummy suddenly started slowing down. When he came in…he didn't go after Sakura or any of her friends. He stopped…when he saw the ghost.

The ghost's face suddenly brightened. "Daddy?"

The mummy groaned inquisitively. Sakura saw that the ghost was…joyful. It was as if…the mummy was her father.

Sakura didn't know why she made her next move. She didn't know why, but she stepped out towards them. She suddenly wasn't afraid anymore…she was extremely curious.

The mummy turned towards her…and grunted at her. He must have been trying to speak, but the mummy's body was withered and decrepit. But the mummy…let out a smile. He pointed at Sakura's…bracelet. The bracelet continued to point a ray of light at each one of them. The mummy motioned for Sakura to come closer…so she did.

The mummy…loosened the bracelet. The bracelet was finally off Sakura's arm. Then the mummy put the bracelet on his own arm…and the body disintegrated before Sakura's eyes. All that remained…was a spirit of what looked to be an ancient Egyptian. But what startled Sakura was that this ghost…looked just like her own father.

The two ghosts gazed at each other…and embraced. It was an emotional sight. It was like…they had just been reunited. The father looked at Sakura…and smiled.

"Thank you."

Then…the two ghosts faded away.

The ground began to rumble again…just like it had when the pyramid was sinking.

"What's happening?" Sakura asked.

Eriol took one guess. "The pyramid's…RISING!"

  


~--------------------~

  


It felt like an earthquake. Li felt the ground start to shake. He didn't know what was happening. But it was Evelyn who spoke up first.

"Get back!! It's happening!!"

Li, Nakuru, and Evelyn ran back as the ground continued to rumble. They almost fell over from all the shaking. Then they looked in front of them. Something was coming out of the ground.

"What is that?" Li asked.

"It's the pyramid!" Evelyn answered. "She did it! Sakura did it!"

Li didn't know what to think of all this. What did Sakura do?

  


~--------------------~

  


It felt like a long eternity. But…the shaking and rumbling finally stopped. When it did, Sakura raised her head.

"Does anyone want to tell me what just happened?"

"I don't know," Eriol replied. "What do you think, Madison? Uh...Madison?"

Madison was busy with something else. She was taping something. She had her camera focused on the chamber wall. "Maybe this has the answer. They're hieroglyphics."

After Madison got all the hieroglyphics on tape, everyone walked out. The pyramid was a lot quieter than it was earlier. They made it back to where they started, but the difference was that there was no more sand outside. There was sunlight. It was finally over. They were free.

Sakura ran out first. It was such a relief to see the desert sun and the blue sky again. But there was another sight in front of her that instantly made her feel relieved. Someone was waiting for her.

"Li?!"

Sakura instinctively ran up to Li and gave him a hug and a kiss. It was wonderful to see him here after all that she had endured.

"What happened?" Li asked.

Someone else was there, too. It was Evelyn. "Yes, Sakura. What DID happen?"

Sakura hesitated for about a minute. "I…don't know. It was so weird. I don't understand what happened."

Evelyn sighed. "It's almost a shame. It seems that you solved a mystery…and we don't even know what the mystery was."

Madison held up her camera. "Maybe this will help. I found some more hieroglyphics inside."

Evelyn was intrigued. "Really? Can I see that tape when we get back to the tent?"

"Sure."

"Good. I think with the help of Sakura's father, I may finally piece this whole thing together!"

Evelyn appeared giddy. So she ran off, not waiting for anyone else. Madison and Eriol finally followed with Nakuru right behind them. Sakura was still in Li's embrace, not wanting him to let go.

"I never want to go through that again," Sakura said softly.

"You want to tell me what happened?" Li asked again.

Sakura closed her eyes. "I'll tell you on the way back…IF you tell me how YOU got here."

"It's a deal. Let's go."

Sakura and Li went…but there was one thing. Li never released his embrace…and Sakura was happy about that. She loved being in his arms…after all that happened.

  


~--------------------~

  


There was silence in the tent that night. After the standard emotion from seeing Sakura, Madison, and Eriol alive, there was just silence. Evelyn was busy with Madison and Sakura's father looking over the tape while everyone else sat silently in the tent. There was nothing more to be said after everything that occurred.

But the silence was soon broken. A triumphant Evelyn came out with Madison and Aiden Avalon. She proudly held up Madison's tape.

"We did it! It all makes sense now!"

Silence.

Sakura blinked. "Would you like to share?"

Evelyn nodded eagerly. "After going over the hieroglyphics in my notebook and the hieroglyphics in Madison's tape, I've come to a conclusion.

"About 5,000 years ago, a beloved Pharaoh committed suicide. It was unknown why the Pharaoh committed suicide, but I discovered the reason. It seems that the Pharaoh's daughter…was murdered. The Pharaoh had the culprit executed in brutal fashion, but he still felt tremendous anguish over having lost his only daughter. He was so overcome with grief…that he took his own life.

"The pyramid was constructed and the dead Pharaoh was mummified, but it was obvious that the Pharaoh's soul was not at rest. The high priests saw that, so they placed a curse on the pyramid…and a certain bracelet. The curse dictated that the pyramid would remain buried for thousands of years. After rising, there would be one person destined to wear the bracelet and put the Pharaoh's soul to rest.

"Now the soul of the Pharaoh's daughter was also not at rest. She desperately longed to find her daddy. So she spent thousands of years seeking her father, but was unable to find him because he was encased in one of the tombs.

"As for the bracelet…the one destined to wear the bracelet had the task of wandering the pyramid until the Pharaoh and his daughter were reunited and their souls were put to rest. That someone…was apparently you, Sakura. The bracelet would emit two rays of light…one that would point to the mummy and the other that would point to the ghost of the Pharaoh's daughter. You found that out…and you reunited the Pharaoh and his daughter. When that happened, the curse on the pyramid was broken and that's why it rose again."

The whole explanation seemed to make a lot of sense…with the exception of one more detail.

"I still don't get one thing," Sakura finally said. "How is it that *I* was destined to do all this?"

Evelyn sighed. "That…I don't know. I'm still unsure of that. I feel that…will remain a mystery."

Everyone present blinked. The explanation was very strange, but it all seemed to fit. Sakura never expected to find herself in the middle of everything. She couldn't believe that she was destined to reunite a Pharaoh and his daughter. This was all so heavy and after all Sakura endured, she wanted only one thing.

"Can we please go home?"

  


~--------------------~

  


A few hours after Sakura got home, she lied down on her bed. She didn't feel like going anywhere. After everything in Egypt, she started to wonder about her recent adventure.

"Kero…why do YOU think I was destined to put their souls to rest?"

Kero sighed deeply. "I don't know all the answers, Sakura. It's all very strange to me. I thought your brand of magic and the hokey Egyptian stuff were two totally different subjects."

"And why did she look so much like me? Why did that Pharaoh look just like my dad?"

"I don't know," Kero said again. "Some things are just meant to be mysterious, I guess."

Sakura just continued to lay back. She couldn't get this out of her mind. This lingered on her mind since she got on the plane. But something else lingered on her mind also. After seeing the Pharaoh and her daughter reunited, Sakura…wanted something else.

She got up and walked down the stairs. She found her father in the kitchen preparing dinner. Sakura walked up to him…and gave him a hug.

"I love you, dad."

Aiden Avalon blinked. "Well…this was unexpected."

Sakura didn't say anything. She just kept her arms around her father. After witnessing the Pharaoh and his daughter…Sakura didn't want to take her own father for granted anymore.

She wanted to show her father that she loved him…and she always would.

  


**THE END**

  


Any comments? The ending came a little late after I got plagued with a personal issue. So what did you think? Tell me by mailing me at AmericanCaptor@hotmail.com and don't forget to review below!


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